Gentlemen, tomorrow is your chance to command the kitchen counters, master the mashed potatoes, and prevail over the pâté. Why? Because the first Thursday in November is National Men Make Dinner Day.
Those of you peered at my Little-Known Holiday sidebar last week probably saw this listed as November 1st. But that was for 2007. (Oops.) The first Thursday in November of 2009 is the 5th. Seriously. But if you celebrated a few days ago, all is not lost. Call it a trial run. And if you saw it too late and thought you missed it...serendipity! Who says there are no second chances?
Wondering whether you qualify?
According to the National Men Make Dinner Day website (yes, there's a website):
"The ideal participant in 'National Men Make Dinner Day' is the man who: helps with household chores; has a sense of humour and is a great all-around guy; loves his wife/girlfriend, kids and pets...BUT NEVER LEARNED HOW TO COOK, and is somewhat afraid of the idea."
Notice it says "the ideal participant," and not "the exclusive participant." As the wife of a man who happens to cook often and well (with an occasional flair for the experimental), might I suggest that those of you who share my husband's More or Less Mastery of Mealtime consider joining the fun, too? After all, one does want to retain one's Sharp Knife in the Drawer kitchen status...
The goal for the day?
"One guaranteed meal cooked by the man of the house one day of the year."
No Experience? No Worries!
The National Men Make Dinner Day website is full of just what you need to make your turn in the kitchen a magnificent culinary success. In addition to a very guy-centric Top Ten list on the main page to motivate you to participate in the day, you'll also find:
- Easy-to-prepare yet mouthwatering recipes to get you from appetizers all the way through dessert.
- A list of NoNo foods you cannot use. (Sorry guys - weenies and wings just won't cut it this time.)
- A smattering of Frequently Asked Questions, useful for both the chefs and their
victimsdiners. - A link to contact the day's founder (but just to ask for interviews, not to beg for help)
- A handy dandy glossary for those who don't know marzipan from a saucepan.
- And of course, rules. Oh, yes. There are rules. Twelve of 'em. For a challenge as momentous as National Men Make Dinner Day, you can't just throw a hot dog on a plate and call it dinner. There must be appropriate preparatory shopping, proper recipe use, efficient preparation technique, acceptable kitchen decorum, correct table setting, and even pleasant ambience. (And no, bodily noises do not count as ambience. You should have used those back on Bean Day.)
And now, with the first Thursday of November nearly upon us, there's only one thing left to say:
Gentlemen, start your ovens!
(And diners, you may want to may want to steel your stomachs, just in case...)
